assisted openers

The season for giving is upon us, and that can mean one of two things: you spend your valuable time researching the best outdoor knives or you let your friends over here at KnifeCenter do the job for you. We’ll keep this guide short and sweet – just eight outdoor/survival essentials that would make great gifts for yourself or others. If you have someone in your life that spends more time outdoors than indoors, the right present for them is on this list!

While all of the Hunter Pro models here are certainly great for backcountry EDC, our favorite from the lineup has to be the silver Alox variant with its removable pocket clip and integrated lanyard hole. The scales are ribbed, allowing for a unique grip that will provide plenty of traction in wet environments. These traditional lockback hunting knives have been field tested to ensure quality performance.

Zero Tolerance Knives is a relatively new brand that first debuted in 2006 with products that were specifically designed for tactical applications. They saw a need in the industry for American-made knives that were built for heavy-duty combat use and could meet the needs of military and law enforcement professionals, so they stepped up with beefy folders like the 0200 and award-winning models like the 0500. While ZT may not have as long of a history as its sister brand Kershaw, they’ve made up for lost time by racking up several awards for their collaborations with famous knifemakers like Rick Hinderer and Dmitry Sinkevich.

ZT is dedicated to the highest caliber manufacturing processes available, and they don’t shy away from taking risks with their designs. We’ve picked what we feel are some of the best knives from ZT’s lineup, starting with one of the best EDCs in their arsenal…

ZT is known to frequently collaborate with knifemaker Rick Hinderer to create some pretty incredible knives, including the 0562. This folder takes Rick’s exclusive “slicer” grind and adds all the best hallmarks of modern knife construction, easily making this one of the best titanium frame lock flippers on the market. The lockbar features a replaceable hardened steel insert that interfaces with the tang of the blade, and that steel-on-steel interaction is going to last longer than steel on titanium and help prevent lock stick as the knife is broken in. You also don’t have to worry about overextending the lockbar, as there’s a disc on the back that prevents it. The cherry on the cake is the S35VN steel, which can be sharpened to hair-popping levels.

From famous pocket knife designs like the Leek to revolutionary assisted opening technologies, Kershaw is known for delivering some of the most groundbreaking innovations in the knife industry. Incredible knives like the Tyrade, Speedform, Tilt, and Cryo have earned Kershaw recognition with awards like Overall Knife of the Year and Best Buy of the Year. It’s not a stretch to say that Kershaw offers up some of the best pocket knives and sporting knives on the market (especially for the price!) but we want to help narrow that scope a little bit. We’ve picked the top five Kershaw knives for you so that you can spend less time shopping and more time cutting.

The Kershaw Leek is one of the company’s most enduring and popular pocketknife series. Designed by famous knife designer Ken Onion, this classic folding knife features the SpeedSafe assisted opening mechanism Ken Onion, himself, invented. The Kershaw Leek’s small profile allows this top pocketknife to be carried comfortably, and it comes in a variety of colors so you’ll have options depending on your taste. Despite all the iterations within this series of classic pocketknives that we’ve seen over the years, our favorite is undoubtedly the original model Kershaw Leek with stainless steel handles and Sandvik blade steel.

Since this great knife boasts the Onion-designed assisted opening mechanism, both lefties and righties can work this into their EDC rotation. The Kershaw Leek also offers secure lockup when the blade is folded thanks to its Tip-Lock slider. The lanyard hole in the knife handle is seamlessly integrated to look like a fourth rivet, which is a pretty cool touch that drives home the level of detail that went into the overall design of a truly great knife.

It’s mid-August, and we here in Fredericksburg, Virginia still have plenty of time to get some solid camping sessions in before winter makes it extra fun. If you’re looking to upgrade your pack or pocket with some new outdoor essentials, you’ll find some great options in this list of eight must-have survivalist tools.

The Ignitor sets the standard for value-priced, high-tech folding knives with its patented features and layered G10 handle scales. Not only do you get the surefire action of its OutBurst assisted deployment, but you also get the security of CRKT’s patent-pending Fire Safe mechanism. This design offers the best integration of folder safety and fast access that we’ve ever seen in a sport or work folder. We have plain blade options and models with Veff serrations, which are great for cutting cord, netting, and vegetation quickly.

New month, new customs! This week we’re showing off some incredible designs from Mikkel Willumsen, Kansei Matsuno, Darrel Ralph, and more. You’ll even find a teaser for some tactical flippers from HEAdesigns that we’re dropping today.

Kansei Matsuno’s knives are a perfect blend of form, function, and meticulous Japanese quality that you can carry with you at all times. This might be our favorite Kansei design to date, and it’s available in either friction folding or liner locking variants.

We were fortunate to get a few of Jeremy’s MAC RoxStars at BLADE that feature zirconium or zircu-ti pocket clips with hidden hardware for a little extra pizzazz. It’s one of the premier tactical folders on the market and available for a fraction of what a full custom would run you even though it feels just as nice.

We managed to grab quite a selection of George’s offerings at the show, including a few well-priced EDC beauties. As with all of his knives, they combine top-notch materials together harmoniously to give these designs the look of true art knives.

Straws, Ti Sushi Sticks, Doohickeys, Screw-Its, fixed blades and heck, even a titanium spike – we’ve got some of nearly everything from the 2018 BLADE Show that Steven offers at the moment. We always love working with Steven and his wife Malissa, his constant companion at every show. Out of everything we got at BLADE, these Dragon Skin pattern milled Sushi Sticks might just be the coolest thing.

SHF Spartan Harsey Folder…quickly becoming THE knife to have from Spartan Blades. We have an awesome selection here of customized and special edition models, so you’re sure to find one for you or a very, very good friend.

Tom Krein Splinter = ideal EDC knife. It’s small, ergonomic and fast, which makes it fun to pull out of your pocket and use without calling attention to yourself. With CTS-XHP stainless steel and durable G10, it’s a user piece with class and definite curb appeal.

Alan C. Warren custom knives are functional works of edge art. He puts in the time and includes features that you don’t often see but will absolutely love, like silver soldering on the finger guard for a cleaner look or tapering the tang thickness of the blade at the butt end to save weight. They are specifically designed, manufactured, and honed for hunting tasks and deserve to be used. However, these are some of the most beautiful cutting tools we’ve ever carried so safe queen status is definitely not out of the realm of possibilities.

Sometimes it’s difficult to see two makers’ design styles in a collaboration but that definitely is not the case with the Cerebrus from Les George and Allen Elishewitz. This large and in charge tactical flipper looks like an Elishewitz knife with a George finish and mid-tech build quality. We are making them even more enticing by taking $125 off, so if you want to get one into your hands at a great price…better act quick!

The HEST/F Urban came about when Robert Young Pelton wanted to bring a knife to the EDC community that wasn’t just for knife people. It’s for all people who appreciate well-built tools that will last for generations. These three special edition models will appeal to anyone who wants something different than standard issue stonewashed/bead blasted.

We have new knives from EOS, RMJ Tactical, Kansei Matsuno, Chuck Richards, Matt Westberg, Rick Hinderer, balisongs from Les Voorhies and Nathan Dewey, and more Astio flippers from Todd Begg Knives. We get new Customs and Mid-Techs in every day, so please email us at support@knifecenter.com with any inquiries.

KnifeCenter is the original and largest online catalog of cutlery, and that includes the best automatic knives in the world.

Ok, we have a heck of a lot of specials going on at the same time. It can get confusing. Which ones are really cheap and which ones are just everyday sale items. I’m here to give you the inside scoop. First, let me point out that the reason for these lists is that we have so many items – the list is really enormous and so many of them are really great deals. We just want to help everyone get to what they are looking for and it’s not always easy. For instance: We just posted the “80 Items up to 80% Off- greatest sale ever” promotion. That’s a pretty big claim. Well, these items are hand picked as good items that we just happen to have too many on the shelf. We are willing to make just a bit on them to lighten up our inventory level for the end of the year. We are all in a buying mode right now and, as I say repeatedly, you have to make hay while the sun shines.

RJ Martin has a knack for functional blade shapes and comfortable, ergonomic handles. Many of his custom and limited production knives sell for $500 and up, so to get one of his designs at this price is remarkable. Kershaw, as well as Boker and some other manufacturers, is very adept at taking high end custom designs and turning them into production pieces. No corners were cut designing, engineering, and manufacturing the 3890 Scrambler. The assisted opening blade can only be opened with the flipper mechanism since it lacks conventional thumbstuds. The SpeedSafe mechanism is quick, strong, durable, and proven. It can be found on countless different Kershaw designs.